Insulator supporting bracket for electric fences



E. J. LENZ 2,599,849

INSULATOR SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR ELECTRIC FENCES June 10, 1952 Filed March 18, 1949 firrzesiejlleni" %v 9 Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .INSULATOR SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR ELECTRIC FENCES Ernest J. Lenz, Varna, Ill.

Application March 18, 1949, Serial No. 82,119

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a bracket for detachably mounting and supporting an electric insulator in spaced relationship to the plane of a wire fence for providing a means for mounting electric insulators in substantial alignment and so that a charged electric wire may be strung along the aligned insulators and supported thereby to produce an electric fence.

An object of the invention is to mount the supporting bracket or brackets on two barb wires or on the two top or two bottom longitudinal wires of any woven wire fence for protecting fences which are already in use with one or two electric wires as may be needed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting bracket adapted for use in forming a two barbed wire fence and wherein a plurality of the brackets may be employed for mounting a strand of barb wire in offset relationship to the plane of a barbed wire fence.

Another and particularly important object of the present invention is to provide a bracket capable of being quickly attached to or detached from two vertically spaced longitudinally extending strands of a wire fence and so as to project substantially perpendicularly from the plane thereof for supporting a strand of wire in offset relationship to the plane of the fence and to enable the supporting bracket to be mounted at any desired spaced intervals and as near or as far apart as may be necessary or desirable as where the fence line is not straight or where the contour of the land is relatively irregular.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a bracket of the aforedescribed character of extremely simple construction which is capable of being economically manufactured and sold, which will be extremely efficient and durable for its intended purpose and which may be quickly and easily applied to or removed from vertically spaced strands of a wire fence.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the supporting bracket applied to and detachably supported by vertically spaced strands of a wire fence and supporting an insulator bracket in laterally ofiset relationship to the plane of said strands;

Figure 2 is a plan viewshowing the bracket in an extended position, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of 2 the bracket taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the supporting bracket comprising the invention is designated generally 5 and is composed entirely of two corresponding strands of wire, designated 6 and 1, which are twisted together throughout a substantial portion of their length and comprising corresponding portions thereof to provide the twisted bracket portions or legs 8 and 9 the adjacent ends of which are spaced from one another by untwisted intermediate portions of the two strands, which intermediate portions are bowed outwardly with respect to one another to define an opening I0 intermediate of the ends of the bracket 5.

Corresponding ends of the strands 6 and 1 which constitute the untwisted extensions of the outer end of the twisted portion or leg 8 are bent to project laterally in opposite directions from the outer end of said leg 8 to provide corresponding arms II. The terminal of each strand 8 or I at the outer end of its arm II is turned outwardly to provide a portion I2 which extends in a direction away from the leg 8 and substantially parallel thereto. The portion 12, as seen in Figure 1, is folded downwardly and back upon itself to provide a portion l3 therebeneath which is in turn folded downwardly and back upon itself to provide a bottom portion M which is spaced downwardly from the portion l3 to provide an outwardly opening notch or recess I5. The portion M which constitutes the terminal of its arm portion I I extends outwardly to substantially beyond the portions l2 and I3 and as clearly illustrated in Figure 1, said portions [2, l3 and H of each arm ll constitute three substantially superimposed folds or plys of an end of either the strand 6 or I.

The opposite ends of the strands 6 and I, at the outer end of the leg 9 constitute separate terminal portions which project from said leg 9 substantially at right angles thereto and in opposite directions to form the arms 16 having outturned portions I! at their outer ends which project in directions away from the leg 9 and which are disposed substantially parallel thereto and which are turned inwardly and back upon themselves to form the inwardly opening hooks 18 which are disposed on the opposite side of the plane of the supporting bracket to the folds l3 and H.

The legs 8 and 9 are bent adjacent the bracket opening [0 to form the bracket 5 of substantially V-shaped formation and with the opening In conits axis in substantially a horizontal plane, as.

illustrated in Figure 1, with the leg 9 constituting the upper leg thereof and the leg 8 the lower leg of the bracket. When so disposed, the hooks [8 are positioned substantially directly above the portions I2, I3 and M and with the hooks [8 opening downwardly and inwardly of the bracket 5 and the notches [5 opening downwardly and outwardly thereof The hooksds are: engaged'over one longitudinally extending strand'23 of "a wire fence after which the'bracket' Bis'sWung'dOWnwardly in a clockwise direction to its'position of Figure I to cause another, lower longitudinally extending trand 23aof the wire fence to be cngaged in the notches 55 to thereby detachably mount the bracket on the strands 23 and 23a and'so that said bracket will project outwardly from oneside of the fence-substantially perpendicular tothe plane thereof. -It will thus be readily seen that the insulator [9 will be supported at a distance from-the fence strands 23 and 23a and said insulator is provided with a groove 24 for receiving a portion of a strand of wire 25 which is intended to be electrically charged'and'which is adapted tob'e supported by a plurality of insulators i9 each supportedby a bracket 5 011 the strands 23'and 23a and which additional brackets, notshown, are spaced longitudinally along said strands 23 and.23a at any desired distances dependinguponthe contour of the land along which the fence strands extend and also depending-upon whether'ornotthe fence is straightor crooked. Obviously, if desired, the strand 25 could be wrapped or loopedaround the groove 2401' may be supported, as illustrated, by merely resting inthe upper portion of said groove. "Cite bracket may be made of varioussizes but is preferably of a" size to permit the wire 25 to be supported approximately six inches from the plane of the fence strands 23 andi23a. It will also be readily apparent thatthe bracket 5 may be adjusted" to accommodate it to fence strands spaced various distances apart by bending the legs 8 and iltcward or away fromone'another. The'bracket obviously be placed either adjacent the top or adjacent the'bottom' of a wire fence to keep cattle from reaching over the fence or to prevent hogs from going under the fence. It will alsobe readily apparent that the fence strands 2-3 and 23awill ordinarily constitute horizontal or longitudinal strands of a woven wire fence; andthat a-plurality'of the brackets 5 may be utilized for supporting a strand of barb wire in lieu of theelectrically charged wire 25 and in offset relationship to the vertical plane of a fence.

Various other modifications and changes are likewise. contemplated" and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1.-A readily demountable supportingbracket for use with wire fences comprising a substan' tially v-shaped bracket including an upper le "and a lower leg, said upper leg being provided with laterally spaced inwardly opening hooks adapted to engage one longitudinally extending strand of a wire fence, the other, lower leg of said bracket being provided with laterally spaced outwardly opening notches normally disposed to open downwardly and being adapted to engage another, lower longitudinally"extendingstrandof the wire fence for'supporting said bracket in outwardly projecting relationship to the plane of said strands, and means at the apex of the bracket for detachably supporting a strand of Wire thereon and in offset relationship to the fence strands.

2. A supporting bracket as in claim 1, said bracket being formed of two strands of wire having complementary. twisted portions defining said legs, complementary end portions of the strands, beyond the outer end of said upper leg, each forming one of said inwardly opening hooks, constituting thehooks ion engaging the. first mentioned ience'strand, said hooks. being laterally offset irom'the'axis of said'upper' leg and in opposite" directions, the opposite, complementary ends oftheibracket strands beyond the outer end.

of the lower leg'beingzbent to provide the corresponding J outwardly opening. notches for engagement with said lowerfence' strand; said outwardly opening notches beingilaterally offset from the lower bracket leg and% inzopposite:directions.

3; A supporting bracket as in claim 1', said lower bracketlegand=inopposite directions, and

said bracket strands having untwisted intermediate portions forrning an opening in the apex of the bracket adapted to receive an insulator" fastening constituting a part ofthe' means for supporting a strandof wire on the bracket.

4. A supporting bracket as in claim 1, said'l'egs being bendable toward and away from one an-- other for mounting the bracket on fence wire strands spaced different distances apart;

5. A supporting'bracketfor wire fences formed of two strands of wire: having complementary twisted portionsformingl'egs, saidlegs being disposed at an acute angleto' one another, one'of said legs constitutingthe upper leg of the bracket ahdcomplem'entary'endsof the strands of wire beyond the outer end'of-sa'id'upper leg being bent to define correspondinginwar'dly opening hooks which are laterally offset in opposite directions from the axis of said upper leg and adapted to engage one longitudinally extending strand of a' tionship from one side of the plane thereof, and means at the apex of said legs for demountably supporting another strand of wire in laterally offset relationship to the fence Wire strands.

6. A supporting bracket as in claim 5, said means including an electrical insulator having a mounting fastening projecting from one end thereof and said bracket strands having untwisted complementary intermediate portions defining an opening at the apex of said bracket legs for detachably receiving the insulator fastening for detachably mounting the insulator on the outer side of the apex of the bracket, said insulator being adapted to demountably support the last mentioned strand of wire.

ERNEST J. LENZ.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

